


Winding down and pulling back up

by Melie



Series: Practice makes Perfect (KurooTsukki) [5]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Complete, Friendship, Kissing, M/M, Relationship(s), Romance, Season/Series 02, Self-Doubt, Touching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-04
Updated: 2017-08-04
Packaged: 2018-12-11 02:28:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11704920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melie/pseuds/Melie
Summary: It was only a matter of time before Kei's self-doubt caught up with him, and no amount of hard work could prevent that in the face of so many losses at the training camp.Except that now, of course, Tetsuro's noticed. And he's determined to do something about it.(Complete)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bisc](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bisc/gifts).



> Multi-chapter, yay! Small chapters, and only three of them, but still, yay!
> 
> To my poor Biscuit who I'm constantly flooding with fangirling and "oh look I wrote another fic so here you go". I'm sorry. (though not very sorry)

They got few breaks, and tried to make the most of them. Thanfully, Nekoma's last match had ended in victory. Karasuno had not been so lucky.

Tetsuro's eyes had turned to Tsukki many times that day. He had not missed the slight slouching of his shoulders, or the way his head frequently tilted downwards. The subtle changes in his expression. He could feel Kei closing himself from the world around him, and knew that whoever tried to talk to him would unavoidably be shut down.

It wasn't that Tsukki blamed himself – Tetsuro was starting to understand that. But day after day, defeat after defeat, whatever confidence he'd managed to muster progressively vanished. Right now, he was probably wondering if it was all worth it. Not that he would quit – no, Tetsuro definitely didn't see Four-Eyes as a quitter. But it would eat him up for sure.

Except that Kuroo had no intention of letting that happen.

He picked up a second bottle, put on his snarkiest smile, and proceeded to cut down the distance between them. Kei was crouched at the bottom of the hill, head down, hands gripping his knees, desperately trying not to make his panting obvious. Tetsuro handed him the bottle, ignoring everyone else – although the quizzical looks were rare, as most were too busy handling their own exhaustion. Plus, it was known that Kuroo was now Tsukishima's mentor of sorts, at least during individual practice.

“A moment of your time, Four-Eyes?”

Tsukki shrugged, but got up and followed him nonetheless. They settled in the shade on the other side of the gym, Kei's back against the wall. No one in sight, but that didn't really matter today.

“So. Having it rough, are you?”

Another shrug.

Shutting everything – _everyone_ – out, just as predicted. Now, it was just a matter of finding the right angle of approach. Tetsuro might not have been the best spiker around, but he never backed down from a difficult fight.

“Cat got your tongue?”

“What are we doing here?”

“Isn't it obvious?”

A glare. Mean. And possibly, _possibly_ slightly arousing, but that really wasn't the point.

“I'm going to try and get you to see your wonderful potential as a volleyball player. Or, alternatively, distract you from all that noise in your head and get you all nice and happy before your next match. And relaxed. Very relaxed.”

“Tss.”

The empty bottle flew, landed in the grass.

“This is pointless.”

Tsukki turned around, intending to leave, but Tetsuro blocked his path with his arm. Gently, though – he was not going to trap Kei here against his will, but he wanted to make his point. Or attempt to.

“Littering isn't nice, you know? In fact, I'm pretty sure you could be fined for it.”

No anwer, but Kei did end up picking up the bottle.

“Okay, good start. Now, I can see that you aren't exactly willing to listen to me right now. So I could tell you that I think you're great, that your mistakes do not make you any less great, and this does not only apply to volleyball by the way. You have a long way to go, sure, but everyone on your team is progressing, you included, even though you can't see the results right now. Plus, let's face it: Nekoma, Shinzen, Fukurodani, Ubugawa? We're huge compared to you, it's just a fact, so it's going to take you guys some time to catch up. I could tell you all this, and I may have just done that, but that wouldn't change anything, would it?”

“No.”

It wasn't as sharp as it could have been.

“Then maybe we could make out instead?”

“I don't think so.”

Tsukki wasn't looking him in the eye, and there was now a certain softness in his features. Against his best judgement, Tetsuro lifted up his hand, only stopping himself moments before caressing that face.

“Kei...”

No. Now was not the time. Instead, Tetsuro smiled.

“Right. I'll see you later, then.”

He waited a few seconds in the shade while Tsukki rejoined his own team. He couldn't stay long – the break was coming to an end – but he needed a moment to himself.

It wasn't just Tsukki's skills that were evolving. Tetsuro just hadn't really taken the time to face it until then. Or to face anything. He'd simply let himself get carried away. They'd been playing around, in their own way, on and off the court (though in very different manners). Their personalities pushing against each other, not really clashing, just... pushing. The physical side of it was undeniable, but it wasn't the root of it all either. And now the snark was subsiding – not fully, it never would – as deeper things emerged – if only in the way they were _aware_ of each other.

But Tetsuro was on the verge of a headache, so he stopped that train of thought right in its track. He had to concentrate on his next game, after all, and couldn't afford to get distracted, not even...

His glance slid again towards Kei as he passed him on his way to the gym.

Well, all he could do now was pray that Tsukki would still show up for practice in the evening.

 


	2. Chapter 2

“Don't think that I don't know that you've noticed.”

Kenma didn't glance up from the videogame, nothing in his expression betraying that he'd heard Tetsuro – to the untrained eye, at least.

But he'd heard him.

They were sitting on the edge of Kenma's bed. Tetsuro had waited patiently for Hinata to leave the room before approaching – those moments between the new friends were precious and he wasn't going to spoil them.

“And I know you weren't going to say anything either.”

“Why would I say anything?”

Tetsuro smiled, resisting the urge to ruffle Kenma's hair.

“Are you having trouble?”

That mustn't have been an easy question to ask, and once again Kuroo was thankful for this friendship.

“Depends on your definition of trouble. But I'm fine.”

“And he's not.”

“Yup.”

A few seconds passed.

“I think he scares Shoyo a bit. They don't like each other much. Shoyo thought that he was wasting his talent, and it annoyed him. But he's not as obsessed with him as he is with Kageyama.”

“Oh, thank you, so at least I know I don't have a rival.”

Tetsuro gave the joke a few moments to die down, then sighed.

“He's full of doubts. In way over past his pretty head. And he's really tall, so that's telling you something.”

“You're helping.”

“Trying to.”

“I don't think you're just trying.”

“One step forward two steps back, Kenma. That's what it feels like. Should have stuck to riling him up.”

Kenma shot him a puzzled glance.

“You never would have, though. Stopped there.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.”

At least Kei had made it to practice that night. He'd been quiet and reserved. No, more than that. Clammed up. But he'd come. He just hadn't stayed afterwards – not that Tetsuro expected him to.

“Maybe I'm trying too hard. Maybe I should just...”

Run up to him and kiss him, yes, give him the best kiss of his life, leave him panting from something other than running up a hill, steal him away from his team and crash their bodies against a mattress or a mat or a wall and...

“No, that wouldn't solve anything.”

Kenma appeared focused on his own game, undisturbed by his apparently incoherent musings, but Tetsuro knew that he was still listening.

“Could be a start, though. Even just showing him that I care.”

He'd said it allowed before he even realised what it meant.

He erupted in laughter, and this time managed to startle his best friend.

“Kuro?”

“Shit, I do care!”

Kenma frowned. He'd even paused the game.

“Of course you do.”

Tetsuro managed to calm himself down, but the smile remained.

“Thanks for your unwavering faith in me, Kenma. I kinda feel better now.”

Kozume waited, as if to be sure, and then finally went back to his console.

Tetsuro left him to it.

 

* * *

 

He was on his way back from the bathroom when he saw Kei, probably out of the Karasuno dormitory to get some air. Turned to the window, staring into space. Fists closed tight.

Tetsuro took his time to approach him, made sure Kei was aware of his presence. Once he was close enough, he wrapped his arms around the slender waist and gently pressed their bodies together. He planted a kiss on Kei's cheek, another in his neck.

Whispered in his ear.

“You _are_ great. And you _are_ going to get better. It _is_ worth it.”

“I know.”

“I care, Kei.”

There was a chuckle, and Tetsuro felt his heart soar.

“You made that kind of obvious.”

They didn't stay long; they couldn't.

But they stayed long enough.

 


	3. Chapter 3

“Nice serve, Tsukishima!”

Tetsuro grinned. Not just because he always liked to face Kei on the court – or Karasuno as a whole, even, and their poor win/loss ratio didn't have much to do with it. But there was something in those golden brown eyes today, a renewed determination, which he was growing very fond of.

And which he found very sexy, too.

The serve went well, even though it didn't end up securing a point. A few times during the match, they stared in each other's eyes, with nothing but the net in between them. Tetsuro reveled in those moments, and in all the times Kei managed to block his spikes.

Not that he'd made it easy on him either. He never did.

In the end, Karasuno lost 17-25. It had been a good match. Tetsuro waited until they'd come back down the hill and chatted a bit with Sawamura, accutely aware of Kei's presence only a few spaces away. Talking with Yamaguchi, and was that a smile on his face? Well yes, it was.

There wasn't much time left until the end of the training camp. The change of pace would be weird. The absence even weirder.

They would cross that bridge once they got to it.

For now, the sun was shining, its heat nearly unbearable; Nekoma still had to face Fukurodani before lunch, and Kei was smiling.

“I'll take that,” muttered Tetsuro.

“Mmh?”

“Oh, sorry, thinking out loud.”

He focused back on Sawamura, until he felt a very familiar hand on his shoulder.

“May I have a moment?”

“Captain, if you'll excuse us.”

“Sure, Captain.”

They found themselves in the same spot as they had before, except this time Tetsuro made sure that he was the one leaning against the wall, arms crossed but the grin on his face preventing any misinterpretation of his mood.

It was a very good mood.

“Well played, in there. And before you start telling me that you still lost...”

“We did play well. _I_ did play well.”

Kuroo nodded, waited for the rest. As it didn't come, he decided to probe for it.

“So... this is the part when I _don't_ have to say 'I told you so' because you admit your mistake yourself.”

“Don't give yourself too much credit.”

But Kei's eyes were playful more than anything else. And maybe it was just to save appearances, but it was still fun, and one could forgive them for indulging in such banter.

“Oh, really? Well, next time you doubt your own skills or the point of it all, come straight to me, and we'll see if I can do better.”

“Maybe.”

“Don't you trust me?”

This time, he did let his hand reach Kei's face, allowed it to push away a few stray locks that stuck to his forehead. His next words were soft, as soft as he could make them.

“Just so you know, I meant what I said last night.”

“I know. I-”

“No.”

A quick kiss, just to make sure that Tsukki got the message and stopped talking.

“Don't tell me yet. Another time. When I don't expect it.”

He moved away. Time to get back. All that was left was to add the last word.

“More romantic that way.”

Tetsuro wished he could have turned to see Kei's face, but the impact wouldn't have been the same.

So he kept on walking, his grin wider than ever.

 


End file.
